Born in Maine in 1837, George Chase came to what is now Kansas City, Missouri, in 1859 and became a prominent businessman. He died January 4, 1913. His diary for the year 1860 describes daily life and events of interest; much of the material deals with the construction of Chase's house and his coming to Kansas City. Entries for December are on loose sheets tipped into the back. There is also a letter from his sister (undated) and list of cooking utensils on separate sheets in the back of the diary.